Primate lentiviruses including HIV-1 have evolved the capacity to transduce terminally differentiated, non-dividing cells and as a consequence, these viruses establish persistent infections of tissue macrophage and microglia in the host. In contrast, non-dividing cells are refractory to infection by retroviruses such as MLV.
A number of studies have examined obstacles to infection of non-dividing cells by retroviruses. These studies have been conducted with artificially growth-arrested cell lines. Whether similar blocks exist in natural, non-dividing cells such as macrophage has not been examined.
A better understanding of the obstacles of retroviruses to infect non-dividing cells is needed.